Squid with roasted peppers

Serves 4-6

Squid is perfect for slapping on the grill; it lends itself to all kinds of Mediterranean and Asian flavours. A friend of mine, Marco d'Agostino, has this on his restaurant menu at Hamilton's in Weymouth; squid is plentiful there and I nearly always order it when I visit.

• 1-1.5 kg fresh medium to large squid, cleaned and tentacles reserved
• A few sprigs of thyme, chopped
• 4 thick-fleshed red peppers
• 5-6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2tbsp capers

Pre-heat your barbecue. Cut the squid in half, season and marinate with a little of the olive oil and thyme. Quarter the peppers lengthways and remove the seeds. In advance, grill the peppers on the cooler part of the barbecue for 5-6 minutes on each side until they soften. Marco puts his in the freezer overnight as this breaks down the flesh and they soften quicker on the grill, but it's up to you. Remove the peppers and cut each piece in half, then put them into a saucepan, add the capers and the rest of the oil and season. Cover the pan and sit it on the edge of the barbie to keep warm.

When you're ready to eat, grill the squid for a couple of minutes on each side then remove and cut into 2-3cm pieces and mix with the peppers. You can serve this hot or at room temperature with some simple salad leaves.